Kidney stone is a common human malady. Kidney stones, also called renal calculi, are solid crystal aggregations of dissolved minerals in urine. Most common kidney stones are caused by the precipitation of calcium compounds, particularly calcium oxalate, from super-saturated solutions normally stabilized against precipitation by glycoproteins. However, certain factors cause the stabilizing function to break down whereby precipitation occurs with resulting deposition of solid calcium compounds, which accumulate to cause blockages in the kidney, bladder or elsewhere in the urinary tract. Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine. If stones grow to sufficient size before passage, they can cause blockages of the ureter. Such blockages may cause extreme pain and discomfort most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin.
In addition to excruciating pain, symptoms of kidney stones may also include blood in the urine due to minor damage to inside lining of kidney, ureter and urethra; reduced urine volume caused by obstruction of the bladder or urethra by the stones; kidney infection as a result of stone blockage; abdominal distention; nausea or vomiting; and fever and chills. Most kidney stones 4 mm or less in size do not require surgery and will pass on their own; however, the vast majority of stones greater than 6 mm will require some form of intervention. Common measures to facilitate the passage of a stone include increased hydration, medication for treating infection and reducing pain, and diuretics to encourage urine flow and prevent further stone formation. Immediate surgery may be required in situations where patients have only one working kidney, or patients experience intractable pain, kidney infection, or are at risk of rapidly developing severe sepsis and toxic shock. In most cases where surgery is needed, non-invasive Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) will be used, which may lead to bleeding and pain related to passage of stone fragment. If non-invasive measures fail, a more invasive procedure such as ureteroscopic fragmentation using laser, ultrasonic or mechanical forms of energy to fragment the larger stones may be required.
Patients that are at risk of forming kidney stones or are frequent stone formers are instructed to modify diet or increase water consumption. Increased water consumption dilutes the concentration of lithogenic substances in the kidney and reduces the likelihood of crystal formation. Intermittent water consumption, however, only leads to intermittent increase in urine volume. This is particularly problematic at night when patients are neither eating nor drinking, and urine tends to become more concentrated than during the day, thereby favoring crystal formation. Thus, there remains a need for a simple and effective method and composition for preventing and treating kidney stone.